Critique Request Any helpful tips for improvement?

that pair .... not so much. this pair has smooth jaws that tend to slip off the wire. ive takes a set of needle nose pliers with fine teeth in the jaws and reshaped the nose a bit to shorten and to reach better where the carbide inserts of the drawplate are recessed.

Wow, tsterling... thanks heaps for all the tips and info. Much appreciated.
Danae.

Dani, Draw plate tongs are smooth for a reason. If you use pliers with teeth in them you have created a weak point were the wire will break. Tongs are an odd shape which first allows them to tighten evenly on the wire and second the hook allows them to be used in a drawing bench for mechanical advantage to make an even pressure pull. As for thickness they claim that a single ounce of gold could be drawn so fine that it would reach around the earth. Another tip is to anneal often, lubricate, steady pressure on the pull. You can thin the end of the wire down by rolling the first couple of inches between two plates of steel.

Inlays are used when mechanical connection is not possible and you want the precious metal to be proud of the surface. overlays can sometimes be attached by heat such as soldiering or rivets. If you create a cavities and inlay the piece that is going to be proud of the surface it is still inlayed just a raised inlay. Different situations call for different methods.

I would suggest a fairly cheap book called "the complete metal smith", the author has other titles as we;; under "The Complete ..." I have learned lots of little tips from his books Take care of yourself this winter. Fred

Thanks Fred.

You too.

Tell me if these two products don't look eerily similar to you?